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Sayana auditions at the Crooked Playhouse

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Considered one of the most mysterious cities in Mizahar, Alvadas is called The City of Illusions. It is the home of Ionu and the notorious Inverted. This city sits on one of the main crossroads through The Region of Kalea.

A New Role

Postby Sayana on September 1st, 2015, 12:09 pm

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Fall 1, 515 AV - Crooked Playhouse

The previous day Sayana had visited the Sanity Center in hopes of finding a job in this chaotic city of illusions. If she was to be staying in this city it would be helpful to start earning Mizas again, especially with not one but two children to be looking after. After listing her skills, they suggested that she visit the Crooked Playhouse and even mentioned that every day there was a free show at the tenth bell in tribute to Ionu.

She was late in arriving. Very late. It seemed like each day offered new challenges to get around the city. Yet, she managed to reach the tunnel-like entrance and slip in for the tail end of the performance. As the Eypharian slipped amongst the onlookers of the show, she was overwhelmed with the vibrant illusions on the stage. There was a rainbow of colours, bright costumes and at least a dozen performers leaping about the stage doing acrobatics. The primary illusion was an enormous loom in which a tapestry was being woven. Acrobats leapt and swung upon the threads, weaving it together. The finished part of it resembled a giant eye. Much of the imagery and meaning was lost to her, but viewers who had seen the whole production might associate the eye with the god of the city and the tapestry as the tale that had been woven.

The final bow was taken and Sayana applauded heartily along with all the others. Yet it was only when the theatre was beginning to clear out did she realize that she had been here before. The oddly angled walls looked familiar along with the pristine stage. This was where she had first visited the Underground having lost her Lakan to a thief. Her low left hand strayed to the daggers at her hip. She almost always carried around two throwing daggers, the Lakan and her ornate cobra hilted dagger from Ahnatep. They were comfortably sheathed in her belt while her red skirt and top sparkled with glassy beads woven into them. She also wore her dance shoes, though it had made her journey here more challenging.

At last, it seemed like the theatre was mostly clear and Sayana made her way towards the stage. Upon spotting a performer clearing away some stage props, she spoke up. “Excuse me, I’d like to speak with the one who runs this place. I’d like to offer my services as a dancer for the troop.” She spoke clearly and directly but wasn’t at all ready for what came next.

“Yes?” Spoke a voice that sounded strangely familiar. Sayana turned around and saw a splitting image of herself seated on a chair with her arms folded elegantly. Sayana blinked several times and her doppelganger casually twirled a strand of her hair. Even the clothes and daggers seemed to match and it was rather disconcerting. Yet when the image stood up, there was a stiffness to its arms and they didn’t move smoothly and gracefully as Sayana would move her own. Sayana had faced some of the oddities of Alvadas and with a deep breath she decided she would casually accept this new one.

“Yes, I would like to demonstrate my skills as proof that I would be worthy of the position,” Sayana continued in a professional manner, ignoring the fact that she was seemingly speaking to a person identical in appearance to herself. Her doppelganger gave a nod and gestured to a small set of stairs that would lead her onto the stage.

Sayana glanced over for a moment and as soon as she looked back at her ‘image’, it had transformed into a much more normal looking man. “Even I don’t think I could have mimicked the expression on your face when you saw me at first.” He said with a chuckle. “But go on, show me what you’ve got.”
Last edited by Sayana on September 1st, 2015, 12:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Sayana
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A New Role

Postby Sayana on September 1st, 2015, 12:16 pm

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There was obvious relief on her face when she no longer had to speak to the image of herself. She stepped gracefully onto the stage and made her way to the center. Her heart pounded. She had practiced a few choreographies prior, but she didn’t have music, nor did she know if she was going to be supplied music.

“Might I have some music? Perhaps a popular Alvadas piece?” She asked tentatively. She wasn’t making a good start but she was confident in her ability to improvise to music even if it was new and unique. There must have been musicians or performers in the back or something, because an elegant melodic song began to play.

Sayana began to dance across the stage with light delicate footwork. She spun effortlessly and formed her arms in large elegant shapes. She was sad to have left her beautiful silken cloth behind in Syliras but her body would have to suffice. As the music grew she built tension in her arms and released it in a tirade of movement, whipping around her like a wind storm and eventually to settle into stillness.

Slowly standing up straight again, she started walking slowly across the stage. The music was calm once more and her steps had a ‘v’ like angle to them as she walked. Suddenly the stage was clear and smooth as glass. White snow banks lined the edges and upon her feet were funny shoes with blades upon them. She was gliding and with each step she moved an incredible distance along the stage. She was in the midst of an illusion, his illusion, but all that meant was there was more to improvise to.

She did a tight spin as she reached the edge of the stage and then reached down to pick up some of the sparkling snow. The music turned to one of awe and majesty and she tossed the snow up into the air. Yet the moment it left her hands it turned into a surge of butterflies. And once her eyes were no longer dazzled by the bright colours, she saw that the stage had turned into a jungle.

The pounding of drums could be heard and immediately the dancer dropped low into a much wider stance. Her whole dance changed to one that was earthier and more spiritual. One hand pounded her chest to the rhythm of the drums while the others made large dramatic gestures as she danced around trees that sprouted out of nowhere. Yet here where she felt the very goddesses of life and the wilds, there was a man standing in a formal suit waiting at attention.

She had only ever partner danced a few times, but it was clear that the illusionist was prompting her to do so now. As she assumed the proper dance position with the man, the jungle faded and was replaced with a glorious ballroom. Again the music modulated and the pair of them were soon off in a waltz. It took all her concentration to keep up and not mistakenly step upon the illusion. He was rather firm to the touch but she was sure it was merely a trick to her senses. Yet when he spun her in twirls, she moved easily and gracefully. It was only when they were tightly together that she was afraid she might mess up the dance.

The music rose in a climax and finished as she was dipped deeply. “Well done, you learn and adapt quickly.” Spoke the owner from his seat near the stage. The illusions had disappeared except for the man in the suit who was actually one of the other performers. He made a brief bow of his head and then left the stage.

“However, now that you’ve caught my attention, I have a test that you must pass.” Fabel continued.
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Sayana
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A New Role

Postby Sayana on September 1st, 2015, 12:18 pm

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“And what does this test entail?” Sayana asked still trying to catch her breath after the vigorous dancing.

“You see, on my stage you can’t be just a dancer. Those I hire must be able to act, do acrobatics and be well rounded performers.” Fabel explained. “And many of them have been with me since they were children, whereas you have not. Therefore, I’ll give you four challenges in the form of illusions. You’ll have to overcome them by demonstrating your ability to act or do acrobatics. If you also demonstrate your dancing that is a bonus but it won’t be sufficient. If you succeed in three of the four, then you’re hired. Understood?”

It seemed like he just wanted to throw more illusions at her, but she nodded in response. It was too good of an opportunity to work at a theatre like this and she was ready to take on whatever he threw at her.

“I think I rather liked that jungle,” Fabel spoke in a rather frivolous tone. The next moment, it reappeared, complete with trees and dense vegetation.

Suddenly, the vines upon the forest floor came alive and the music began once more. Sayana started with quick dance steps as she nimbly placed her feet in spots not covered with the wiggling vines. She tried to keep her steps in time with the music but soon more and move vines joined the wiggling mass. With a giant leap, she managed to elude most of the vines yet it wasn’t long before they started catching up with her again. No longer could she just dance in between them, the greenery was too thick. Acting or acrobatics, acting or acrobatics… Of course she had to do some brilliant acrobatic feat, but what?

Time was running out as she dodged another vine that was about to wrap around her ankle. She spotted several hanging vines and suddenly had an idea. Taking several quick steps, she ran and jumped trying to catch one of the hanging vines with all her hands. She managed to hang on while she swung with the momentum. Please don’t let this one turn alive too. Almost afraid that it would, she grasped another one and let go of the first as she maneuvered to swing from the second. She tried to climb higher but only managed to get a foot or two higher into the air before the muscles in her arms started to burn.

At her obvious strain, Fabel gave a nod from his seat. “First challenge achieved,” he called out to her and she sighed with obvious relief. But then she heard the loud roar of a lion.
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Sayana
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A New Role

Postby Sayana on September 1st, 2015, 12:19 pm

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A second roar came from the other side of the stage. Two of them?? What was he thinking? Her mind raced as she jumped down from the vine and landed with a bit of a stumble. Her dance shoes were certainly not meant for this. Her first thought was to do her best fighting them with her daggers. If she could hide somewhere and whip her two throwing daggers at one of the lions… And then she remembered that she had to demonstrate her acrobatics or acting skills, not her ability to use her daggers.

Her heart fell a little but she swiftly scampered over to hide behind a tree as she fought to figure out a way to overcome these beasts. Crouching low within the vegetation, Sayana peered through the leaves and spotted one of the creatures. Big and tan in colour, it reminded her of the night lions of the Cyphrus plains. The music continued in a slow menacing drawl. She tiptoed from one tree to another. She attempted to do it in an exaggerated way in time with the music but despite the dramatic flair, it seemed like it didn’t quite count as acting.

She spotted the second lion now. It had a huge mane of fur around its neck. Could she try charming it with a fancy cartwheel? It was only a matter of time until… Snap! Both the lions’ heads turned at the sound of the stick she had stepped on. It was all or nothing.

Sayana leaped out from her hiding place and launched herself into a cartwheel. Four hands touched the ground at the same time while her legs shot up straight and pointed. In the middle of it she clapped her low hands together in an acrobatic display before landing on her feet once more.

However, the lions were not impressed.

The nearest one with the mane let out a roar and made a swipe at her with its paws. Sayana jumped backwards but not fast enough. The lion’s claws scratched into her left mid arm and she cried out in pain. It was real. Real pain. But it was supposed to be an illusion. Was the pain real or an illusion? Her mind was overwhelmed as she questioned the reality of it all but fortunately her instincts kicked in and she had her ornate dagger drawn. The next moment she slashed at the lion’s paw but to no avail.

“Acrobatics or acting!” Fabel shouted out pointedly.

The lion seemed unaffected by her strikes. Acrobatics or acting, acrobatics or acting. Her mind raced as she jumped back from another lunge by the lion. Acting, acting… She had once scared off a bear with her daggers and trying to intimidate it. Her forearm burned from the deep scratches. It was all she had.

Sheathing her dagger Sayana raised all six arms in a menacing way and let out a bellowing roar. She took a step forwards and did a second roar, but this time it surprised her more than it did the lion. What emitted from her mouth was an enormous feline-like roar. At the corners of her eyes she swore she could see hints of mane-like fur and when she looked down, her arms had turned into six terrifying paws with sharp claws. Continuing the act, she bounded after the lions slashing this way and that with her claws. It was a little awkward to keep her balance but she tried to mimic the feline movements and try to keep her ‘arms’ near the ground except when she was leaping up to attack. With one last growl that sounded unnervingly realistic, the two other lions were scared off.

“Nicely done,” Fabel commented as her lion ‘costume’ faded away. “Next challenge coming your way.”
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A New Role

Postby Sayana on September 1st, 2015, 12:20 pm

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She had completed two of the four challenges. All she needed was to be successful at one more. So if she got this one, then she hardly even needed to do the last one. But then she heard the cry of a baby and her gut clenched.

Quickly she started looking around. Where was the sound coming from? And more importantly, why was it affecting her so much? The crying, it wasn’t stopping. She brushed away leaves and vegetation with her arms as she looked for it. Had it been abandoned on the forest floor? Abandoned. Why was she even in the theatre? She ought to be looking after Andreas like a good mother. And yet, he wasn’t even hers. Her son. That blue helpless mutated looking thing that had come out of her. She was no mother. What was she thinking trying to raise some other baby when she had failed so miserably at her own?

There was obvious distress on her face as she searched the jungle floor. Crying, crying. That persistent crying that woke her up in the middle of the night. She tried to calm her thoughts, clear them so that she might be able to focus. In that moment she realized that the crying was not coming from the forest floor but somewhere above. Swiftly her eyes darted around the tree branches trying to peer through the leaves. And then she saw it, the basket high within the branches.

It was quite a ways up, yet the branches of the jungle tree seemed to be evenly spaced. She started climbing, first stepping on one of the lower branches and then gripping another branch higher up with both her high hands. Her other hands braced her or grabbed onto other nearby branches as she continued to haul herself higher into the tree. The crying persisted yet she now had a goal and seemed less distressed.

Higher and higher she climbed taking one step at a time and pulling up with her arms. The basket with the babe was just within reach when a branch snapped loudly and she nearly fell as it gave way from beneath her foot. Fortunately she had a strong grip of her hands on the various other branches that she kept from tumbling out of the tree entirely.

She needed that babe. Reaching and straining with her high arms, she managed to grasp the edge of the basket and pull it closer to her. Her mid hands supported some of her weight while her lows kept her steady. At last she got the basket securely in her arms and made a swift decent.

As she landed back on the ground, the cries had not waned in the slightest. As she looked into the basked, her breath caught in her throat. There it was, a beautiful baby girl Eypharian. A whole new wave of emotion hit her and she reached inside to bring the baby to her chest. All those beautiful little arms, so delicate that would someday become so strong. A guilty wrench tugged at her gut as she wondered why she had not searched harder for a strong Eypharian man to have a family with. She hugged the baby tightly against her chest as the wailing persisted too. Feelings of loss, guilt, and regret coursed through her and soon she found herself fighting off tears of emotion. Hugging tighter and tighter at the babe who squirmed in her arms, she trembled and became effectively incapacitated. But then the baby grew still, limp in her arms.

“No, no!” Sayana cried out as she held its still form in her arms.

“Challenge failed. You only have one more to go.” Came Fabel’s voice and the baby along with its basket slowly disappeared.
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Sayana
Dancing in the rain...
 
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A New Role

Postby Sayana on September 1st, 2015, 12:21 pm

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She still had a chance, but she had to get this last one or she wasn’t going to get hired. Sayana took a moment to try to clear her head emotionally. That was what had tripped her up. She had gotten sucked into the illusion too much. Too bad he didn’t think she was doing a great job at acting. However, her peeved attitude soon dissipated as she heard more drums and chanting.

The earthy music grew louder and very human-like calls cried out amidst the jungle. She wasn’t sure where the voices were coming from but every so often she spotted movement in and between the trees. She made her way cautiously to a clearing around center stage. A casual swing of her arms brought about fresh pain from the lion’s scratch. With a grimace, she gritted her teeth and tried to ignore it. How real were these illusions?

However, upon arriving in the center of the clearing she soon found herself surrounded. Tall war-like people with spears and blades had formed a circle around her. Surprisingly, they were of a much deeper brown than she was. Scattered about were more of them who beat massive drums and rattled percussive instruments while they chanted. This was not looking good. But suddenly an idea popped into her head.

The dancer straightened up into a commanding presence and held out her arms with precision and purpose. Then, meeting the eyes of the tribal people surrounding her, she let out a war cry of her own. “I bring rain from the goddess Makutsi. She is pleased with her children. Come, let us dance together and bring forth her purifying waters.” Her gestures were grand as she spoke and her voice clear. She needed to convince them that she was not an enemy and in fact blessed by a powerful goddess. She only hoped that Makutsi was indeed a goddess they worshipped and not one they despised.

There seemed to be a little confusion at first from those holding the spears but at the mention of the goddess’s name, there was understanding. Perhaps they did not speak the same language. Sayana gestured to the sky and mimed raindrops falling with her fingers. Further gesturing in a welcoming and inclusive sort of way, she started chanting the goddess’s name. “Makutsi, Makutsi…”

The Eypharian spun and whirled with the pounding of the drums. She reached high to the sky as if evoking the rain to pour down upon them. She danced powerfully and dramatically, trying to stir the passion of the tribe around her. “Dance with me, dance!” She cried out and soon some of the members of the tribe began to join her. Her heart pounded with energy and euphoria. Again she felt caught up in the illusion but this time it felt good, triumphant. There was a boom of thunder and the skies let loose a shower of rain.

She could still feel the water dripping off her skin as the illusion faded and the stage was pristine once more. Curiously, the scratch on her arm also disappeared. “Usually Ionu is the one we worship above all others,” Fabel commented from his seat. “But that was cleverly done. You’re hired.”
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Sayana
Dancing in the rain...
 
Posts: 1938
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Joined roleplay: September 22nd, 2014, 12:38 am
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Medals: 8
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A New Role

Postby Fable on September 3rd, 2015, 4:13 am

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"On one condition." His crooked smile playing about his thin lips as he leaned forward, lacing his fingers in front of him. "Next time, show up a the right place." As the last word drifted from his lips, the illusion melted away. What had once been the strange, angled walls and elevated stage became familiar alleys and cobbled paths. A small group of people had gathered, staring at her with a collection of different expressions all within the realm of amusement. One, a small child with tussled hair and a glint of determination in his eye stepped forward, miza in hand, and offered it to the Eypharian.

"You dance pretty, lady." His piece said, the child darted back to hide in the skirts of a jolly looking woman who offered Sayana a merry wave as she and the rest of the crowed ambled down the streets to find the next wonder the city had to offer them. Alone at last, Fabel's words still hung in the air, almost taunting, as she turned to try to find her way home.

Character Name

Skills
    Rhetoric +1
    Dance +3
    Negotiation +2
    Persuasion +1
    Endurance +1
    Planning +1
    Land Navigation +1
    Tactics +3
    Acting +3
    Acrobatics +1
    Climbing +1
    Running +1
    Stealth +1
    Philosophy +1
    Intimidation +1
    Bodybuilding +1
Lores
    Acting: Improvisation
    Acting: Pantomime
Rewards/Consequences
    +Congratulations! I've added the notes to your SS thread. Sayana is now steadily employed in the Crooked Playhouse as a performer!
Notes :
So, I would have liked to have seen a little more struggle. You overplayed your climbing and your acrobatics, and while your dance was well done, I think you took a little too much liberty with letting it slip into other skills that Sayana doesn't quite have the same mastery over. I wasn't able to award full points in acro or in climbing (for the cartwheel, which would have been alright, but it was flawless, and the effortless tree climbing). The thread itself, however, was a very interesting and playful use of illusionism! I enjoyed reading it, and I think you did a good job with Fabel! Please try to keep your skill levels in mind in the future, and good work!

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